Inherited from Old Tupi mãîa, from Portuguese mãe + Old Tupi -a.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaɲa/, [ˈma.j̃ɐ]
• Rhymes: -aɲa
• Hyphenation: ma‧nha

manha (plural manha-itá)

1. mother (female parent)

   Synonym: sí

   Coordinate term: paya

2. (folklore) name given to supernatural beings seen as ancestors and patrons of a landform or a plant or animal species

   Synonyms: amunha, aría

   • 1890 [1872–1887], “Uaçá piracaçara irimaué ara [Uaçá, the ancient fisher]”, in João Barbosa Rodrigues, compiler, Poranduba Amazonense ou Kochiyma-uara Porandub, Rio de Janeiro: Typ. de G. Leuzinger & Filhos, page 270:

     Uaçá piracaçara irimaué ara u pinaitica i piná i iupicyca yurará manha arucanga opé, u munéu i py i iupicyca yurará manha cupepe i py etá.

     The ancient fisher Uaçá, while fishing, got his hook stuck in the ribs of the Turtle’s Mother; he put his feet and got both stuck on the Turtle’s Mother’s back.

     [Story collected at Rio Negro]

• Avila, Marcel Twardowsky (2021), “manha”, in Proposta de dicionário nheengatu-português [Nheengatu–Portuguese dictionary proposal] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: USP, →DOI, pages 447–448

From Old Galician-Portuguese manna, from Vulgar Latin *mania (“manual skill”), from Latin manus (“hand”).

Cognate with Galician and Spanish maña.

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐɲɐ, (Brazil) -ɐ̃ɲɐ
• Hyphenation: ma‧nha

manha f (plural manhas)

1. act (a display of behaviour meant to deceive)
2. artfulness, slyness
3. cunning, stratagem
4. custom, habit
5. dexterity, handiness, skill

   Synonym: jeito

   Pegar a manha de algo. ― To get the hang of something.

6. (Brazil, informal) tantrum (of kids)

   Synonym: tolice

   A criança está fazendo manha de novo. ― The kid is throwing a tantrum again.

• “manha”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “manha”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “manha”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “manha”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026